Mika Hakkinen: Hungarian Grand Prix

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It’s incredible to consider that Mercedes have won the last two Grands Prix and it adds another level of excitement to the season. George Russell’s victory in Austria was a little bit lucky, of course, but it proves that winning is sometimes all about putting yourself in the right position when something unexpected happens. 

Lewis Hamilton’s ninth win at the British Grand Prix had nothing to do with luck, everything to do with the fantastic work the Mercedes team has done to develop the W15 this season, making it very strong on a quick track like Silverstone. The Hungaroring could not be more different, it’s more like a kart track with constant changes of direction, high downforce and only one proper straight at the start-finish line.

Then, of course, you have Lewis’s skill, his race craft and his experience of knowing how to bring the win. It is almost unbelievable that this guy has had to wait two and half years since taking his last win, but he never gave up and I think it’s great for Formula 1 that he is winning again in this year, his final season with Mercedes. I am sure that racing in front of his home crowd gave him some extra speed!  Now that the win has come, he will want more.

Mercedes does not yet have a car capable to winning at every type of track, but we should remember that the pole position in Hungary in 2022 went to George while Lewis was on pole last year. So they will be a threat, even if the circuit is not ideally suited to the W15’s character, and the news that they are bringing more upgrades shows that the factory is flat out trying to unlock even more performance.

Take Note

Aside from being a very twisty circuit the Hungaroring is also famous for being hot, and that can be a problem in two key technical areas – brakes and tyres. There are six braking areas around the  circuit and, since the top speeds are low, there is not as much cooling available for the brakes.  This weekend’s forecast is for the ambient temperature to be around 33 or 34 ℃, which means track temperates of over 50℃, and Pirelli’s softest compound tyres will not enjoy that through the circuit’s 14 corners.

Mika’s Tip

We have had surprises in Hungary before, for example in 2021 when Esteban Ocon took a famous win for Alpine, or Jenson’s Button’s win for Honda in 2006.  Although a win for McLaren would not be a complete surprise, the team having been super competitive in recent races, it is a definite possibility if they can deliver the right strategy to take the fight to Max and Red Bull. McLaren has the car capable of winning, and two drivers who are on top form, the team only needs to deliver those small improvements in strategy and decision making in order for Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri to stand on the top step of the podium.

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